Generation Hope #1Review

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The newest X-Men recruits spin out into their own series.

By Jesse Schedeen

At this point it seems doubtful that even hardcore X-Men fans are clamoring for another ongoing series set in the mutant world. And yet, one more is being added to he line-up as Generation Hope makes its debut. This series spins directly out of the pages of Uncanny X-Men, with Rogue, Hope, and her new allies heading to Japan to track down the last of the Five Lights.

While the transition is fairly seamless for readers of Uncanny, those diving into the series without much exposure to the current status quo of the X-Men line will be in for some confusion. The decision to move the Five Lights subplot into this new series rather than finish it within Uncanny is questionable. It prevents Generation Hope from being able to make a fresh start and focus on accessibility. On the other hand, the new format does allow Kieron Gillen to shine the spotlight more heavily on Hope and her recruits than Matt Fraction has been able to in Uncanny. There is a much more concerted effort to explore the thoughts and motivations of these characters. Gillen's script jumps from the perspective of all four current Lights, as ell as Hope and the creepy new fifth Light.

The actual execution of this scripting technique is underwhelming, sadly. For one thing, Gillen struggles entirely too much to work in the metaphor of a light in as many varied ways as possible. This approach is reasonably successful at first with the character Laurie, as the very nature of her powers and disposition meshes with the metaphor. However, as the issues wears on the metaphor becomes increasingly strained, and other character voices like Gabriel simply come across as hokey and stilted. Also annoying is Teon, who retains his single-minded thought process from the previous issue of Uncanny. If this is all readers can expect from the character, he'd be better off relegated to the background from here on out. While Gillen succeeds in his handling of characters like Laurie and Hope, the cast as a whole is too haphazardly portrayed at present.

Perhaps the primary concern with any new X-book is identity. How does a series fit into the larger picture? What can it offer that no other series does already? This is a problem Generation Hope struggles with in its first issue. Perhaps it's an unavoidable side effect of having to bridge the gap from Uncanny X-Men, but this issue doesn't showcase a strong sense of identity or a unique voice. Between X-Men Legacy and New Mutants, readers already have two books that document the young mutant experience in their own ways. This issue doesn't provide sufficient evidence to prove it'll be a different reading experience. Granted, all books deserve a certain amount of time to get off the ground. Unfortunately, with the battle for the fifth Light not even wrapping up by the end of this issue, it looks as though Generation Hope will require more time than most. So far, readers are given little indication of how this book will function beyond this limited initial premise.

If nothing else, though, the art for the series is quite attractive. Salvador Espin delivered eye-catching visuals in his recent Hulk work, and that same expressive, vibrant style remains. The colors are toned down here, but that serves the slightly more grounded feel of the series. Whether rendering the surreal and twisted surroundings of Kenji or simply showcasing the fiery personalities aboard the Blackbird, Espin brigns plenty of life to this new book. The hope is that Gillen will eventually be able to do the same in his writing. Phonogram proved Gillen has a unique understanding of modern teens struggling with unusual abilities. Hopefully that same magic can soon be rekindled in Generation Hope.